heart-health for clergy - Brian...

heart-health for clergy:spiritual practices for dangerous,

challenging, precipitous, pivotal times

Cal-Pac Clergy Convocation 2017

be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you

become one.

friedrich nietzsche

racism white supremacy

bigotry greed

apathy cynicism

we are surrounded by monsters.

polarization ignorance

lust hypocrisy

dishonesty fear

corruption

racism

white supremacy bigotry

greed apathy

cynicism polarization

ignorance lust

hypocrisy dishonesty

fear

corruption

we are surrounded by monsters. if we don’t fight them, we are

complicit & cowardly (which makes us monstrous).

If we do fight them, we are in danger of becoming monstrous in

other ways.

racism

white supremacy bigotry

greed apathy


lust hypocrisy

dishonesty fear

corruption

spiritual practices are our means of not becoming like what we fight,

so that we are not overcome by evil, but instead overcome evil with good.

love

joy peace

patience kindness

goodness forgiveness

faithfulness gentleness

self-control empowerment

joy

justice

spiritual practices help us guard our hearts

and grow better (not bitter) through struggle

because in ministry, if your heart isn’t right,

nothing is right.

and keeping your heart right isn’t easy.

heart-health for clergy: 4 spiritual practices

my assumptions: 1. i know less than i don’t

know. 2. we need a convergence: 3. personal/social 4. confident/self-critical 5. head/heart 6. contemplative/activist

because …

It’s not just that the future of the church is at stake.

The future of humanity is at stake …

planet poverty peace people

… So your spiritual health and strength are precious

resources. “Guard your heart”

“Guard the gift”

heart-health for clergy: 1. self-examination

heart-health for clergy: 1. self-examination why are you downcast, o my soul? why are you disquieted within me?

heart-health for clergy: 2. soul-friendship spiritual direction

“holy conferencing” non-utilitarian relationship

a query: how is your heart?

how goes it with your soul?



revealing your feeling is the beginning of healing.



we listen with holy attention. we mirror to one another the love, wisdom, and grace of

God.

heart-health for clergy: 3. constant conscious contact

with God

practicing God’s presence

something i have learned, as an arranger of words:

better a few words from the heart -

than many words disconnected from the heart.

o! (glory! hallelujah!) thanks. here.


please! help! (________)

sorry.


please! help! sorry.

no! why? when?



no! why? when?

[…] yes.

behold!



no! why? when?

[…] yes.

behold!

o! thanks. here.

At Evening With a Child

Jessica Powers

We walk along a roadat the day's end, a little child and I,and she points out a bird, a tree, a toad,a stretch of colored sky.

She knows no single wordbut "Ah" (with which all poems must commence,at least in the heart's heart), and I am stirredby her glad eloquence.

Her feet are yet unsureof their new task; her language limited,but her eyes see the earth in joy secure.

And it is time I said:

Let the proud walls come down!Let the cold monarchy be taken over!I give my keys to rust, and I disown castles of stone for ambushed roads in clover.

All the vast kingdoms that I could attainare less to me than that the dusk is mildand that I walk along a country laneat evening with a child. Source: Selected Poetry of Jessica Powers edited by Regina Siegfried and Robert Morneau



no! why? when?

[…] yes.

behold!

o! thanks. here.

heart-health for clergy: 4. becoming a friend to

yourself or

joining God in loving you.

bernard of clairvaux: loving self for self’s sake loving God for self’s sake loving God for God’s sake loving self for God’s sake

what/who recharges, delights, restores you?

what/who drains, discourages, depletes you?

what anesthetics tempt you toward addiction?

what 30% of your duties do you procrastinate on, causing yourself added

anxiety?

what new approach can you take to that 30%?

just because you’re a pastor doesn’t mean you’re not also …

a Christian a human being

a creature in God’s creation

what would a good boss or a good friend or a good pastor prescribe for you

or say to you right now?

heart-health for clergy: 1. self-examination 2. soul friend 3. constant conscious contact with God 4. becoming a friend to yourself

A final word: Richard Rohr says …

action AND contemplation

formation for mission inner work for the outer work

racism white supremacy

bigotry greed

apathy cynicism

we are surrounded by monsters.


lust hypocrisy

dishonesty fear

corruption

let’s stay in touch …

slides will be available

brianmclaren.net

links to Facebook, Twitter, email newsletter, etc.

http://brianmclaren.net

heart-health for denominations:

organizational basics for dangerous, challenging, precipitous, pivotal times

THE GREATSPIRITUALM I G R AT I ON

H O W T H E W O R L D’S L A R G E S T

R E L I G I O N I S S E E K I N G A B E T T E R

WAY TO B E C H R I S T I A N

AUTHOR OF A NEW KIND OF CHRISTIAN TRILOGY AND A GENEROUS ORTHODOXY

B R I A N D . M C L A R E N

THE GREAT SPIRITUAL MIGRATION

BRIAN D. MCLAREN

C O N V E R G E N T

A spiritual migration

from system of belief to way of life/

way of love

A theological migration

from violent Supreme Being

to nonviolent Holy Spirit/Spirit of Christ

A missional migration

from organized religion (for self-protection)

to religion organizing for the common good

(institutions and movements in romance, forming & deploying spiritual activists)

What’s missing today is a high-quality discourse on rethinking the design and

evolution of the entire system from scratch. (Otto Scharmer)

we need a theology of

institutions, movements. and Communities

Communities

Families, individuals, and organizations linked to a common environment, collaborating for the common good.

Institutions:

Organizations which conserve the gains made by

past social movements.

Social Movements

Organizations which make proposals or demands to current institutions to make progress towards new gains.

Both movements and institutions...

Organize for their purpose Need one another Are frustrated with one

another Benefit or harm communities

Without movements ...

Institutions stagnate ...

Without institutions ...

Movements evaporate ...

Some movements successfully inject their

values into the institutions they challenge

Other movements create their own institutions,

or pass away

Vital movements call people to passionate,

sacrificial personal commitment

Sustainable institutions create loyalty across

generations through evocative rituals & traditions

movements can be

progressive, conservative, or regressive

as can institutions, depending on which movements they

let in the door.

Lasting change happens when movement leaders knock persistently on the

doors of institutional leaders,

and a critical few institutional leaders answer …

“Yes.” (Or “Let’s negotiate.”)

From Greg Leffel Faith Seeking Action: Mission

and Social Movements

A vital movement is born when 3 things happen:

- 2 or more people agree what’s wrong- They agree what should be done

- They agree to do it, counting the cost.

Leffel’s 6 Characteristics of Vibrant Social Movements

1. Opportunity Structure2. Rhetorical framing3. Protest (messaging) strategy4. Mobilization strategy5. Movement culture6. Participant Biography

Jesus says the kingdom of God is like gardening (an organic movement) not warfare (institutional action): It spreads through seeds ... sown into systems to grow.

The seeds of the message.

The seeds of people who personally embody the message.

The seeds of communities who socially embody the message.

Jesus seizes the opportunity structure provided by conflicted elites (Pharisees/Sadducees; Herodians/Zealots) and struggling masses (Galilee/Judea)

He provides rhetorical framing on hillsides, in houses, on retreats, in public teach-ins, in debates, through parables, through rituals and practices. He repeats key themes - commonwealth of God, life to the full, life of the ages, liberation - rooted in dynamic tension with tradition.

His protest (messaging) strategy includes public demonstrations (healings & miracles), teach-ins (sermon on mount), civil disobedience (turning tables), guerilla theatre (exorcisms), festivals (feasts & feedings), naming evil (woes), naming heroes (blessings).

He develops a mobilization strategy based on 3, 12, 70, and multitudes. He entrusts freely with responsibility and expresses high confidence in his agents (greater things shall you do ...)

He associates his movement culture with love, joy, justice, risk, hope, creativity, courage, service, willingness to suffer, nonviolence.

He provides his disciples challenge, rest, retreat, encouragement, recovery after failures. They testify that their participant biographies have been forever changed for the better.

What spiritual movement is trying to be born among us today?

What are its demands/proposals?

What role might we play in its emergence?

1. Congregations need to identify themselves.

- Regressive Churches (nostalgic)

- Eggshell Churches (anxious]

- Holding the Tension [cautious]

- Progressive/Missional Churches [bold]

Why?

Belonging, Amplification, Public Figures, Shared Encouragement & Resources, Mobilization

2. Begin afresh with younger generations

- The reason an awakening takes a generation or more to work itself out is that it must grow with the young; it must escape the enculturation of old ways. It is not worthwhile to ask who the prophet of this awakening is or to search for new ideological blueprints in the works of the learned. Revitalization is growing up around us in our children, who are both more innocent and more knowing than their parents and grandparents. It is their world that has yet to be reborn. - Wm. G. McLoughlin

Begin afresh with younger generations

- An important scientific innovation rarely makes its way by gradually winning over and converting its opponents; it rarely happens that Saul becomes Paul. What does happen is that its opponents gradually die out, and that the growing generation is familiarized with the ideas from the beginning, another instance of the fact that the future lies with the youth. - Max Planck

3. Recruit leaders differently, train them differently, and organize them differently.

- MDiv - $40 - 80K

The Cuban Methodist model …

The deployment problem

Understanding America

“84% of Americans now live in or around urban areas. But I’m United Methodist, so I speak out of the context of what I know best. 74% of our capital resources (that’s our buildings) are where only 16% of the American population lives. The Methodist Church flourished in the 1800’s and early 1900’s in small towns and rural areas. But now we continue to send pastors to church buildings instead of populations. And if we’re really going to reach people, we’re going to have to radically rethink our paradigms of what it’s going to mean to be missional.” - Rev. Mike SlaughterMore here: http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/1227/interview-w-mike-slaughter

http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/1227/interview-w-mike-slaughter

Workinginourtribes

PCUSA UCC UMC EpiscopalChris:anChurchDoC

ELCA

Historic Black,Ethnic/ Immigrant,ProgressiveRoman Catholic,Progressive Evangelical,etc.

nostalgic


ELCA


bold

eggshell

holdingtension


ELCA


ANOSTALGIC,REGRESSIVEMOVEMENT

Workingacrossourtribes


ELCA


AVITALSPIRITUALMOVEMENTFORJUSTANDGENEROUSCHRISTIANFAITH?

keyques:on:towhomarewemakingour

demands?

PCUSA UCC UMCEpiscop

al

Chris:an

ChurchDoC

ELCA

Historic Black,Ethnic/ Immigrant,Progressiv

AVITALSPIRITUALMOVEMENT

4. Recast mission as spiritual activism.

- Recruiting activists

- Neighborhood/Community activism

- Political activism

- Economic activism (boycotts, buy-cotts, divest/invest)

- Professional activism

- Social entrepreneurship

Along this path, popular movements play an essential role, not only by making demands and lodging protests, but even more basically by being creative. You are social poets, creators of work, builders of housing, producers of food, above all for people left behind by the world market… The future of humanity does not rest solely in the hands of great leaders, the great powers and the elites. It is fundamentally in the hands of peoples and in their ability to organize. It is in their hands, which can guide with humility and conviction this process of change. I am with you. - Pope Francis

5. Align, align, align.

- song

- liturgy

- preaching

- practices

- inner work/outer work

- multi-faith collaboration

Putting it all together …

- Helping churches identify themselves.

- Beginning with kids and youth.

- Recruiting, training, organizing leaders in new ways.

- Recasting mission as spiritual activism.

- Celebrating liberation spirituality

heart-health for denominations:

organizational basics for dangerous, challenging, precipitous, pivotal times



brianmclaren.net



Lord’s Prayer

Holy One, whose love makes us one family. May your unspeakable name be revered. Now, here on earth, may your commonwealth come. On earth as in heaven may your dreams come true.

Give us today our bread for today. Forgive us our wrongs as we forgive. Lead us away from the perilous trial. Liberate us from the evil.

Lord’s Prayer

For the kingdom is yours and yours alone. The power is yours and yours alone. The glory is yours and yours alone. Now and forever, amen.

Now, here on earth, may your commonwealth come. On earth as in heaven may your dreams come true. Alleluia. Alleluia. Amen.

heart-health for congregations:

congregational innovation for dangerous, challenging, precipitous, pivotal times

What congregations are leading the way?

What congregations are leading the way?

Why is this question so hard to answer?

innovation

&

imitation

When we look at growing churches …

We have:

- Feeder/collector churches for migrants

- Churches for discontented transfer-ins

- Churches of choice for targeted consumers

- Churches improving without innovating.

We have:

- Innovations that are unsustainable financially

- Innovations that are unsustainable personally

- Innovations that are unreplicable due to exceptional talent

We don’t have many:

- Churches reaching secular people

- Churches reaching younger generations

- Churches “rethinking the whole system”

- Churches addressing deep theological issues

.So …

Learn from everyone. Withhold judgment.

Expect diversity - many ways.

Share best practices.

Improve what’s working.

Innovate boldly and fail quickly.

Innovate on the side.

Distrust magic bullets.

Catholic Student Movement

Q Faith Communities Movement

Spiritual Direction Cluster

Dinner Churches/Breakfast for Dinner

my best guess …

my best intuition tells me 3 things …

1. Creative and profound liturgies may help us break through.


2. Discipleship, spiritual formation, personal transformation may

happen best in non-Sunday formats: camps, retreats, online, field trips,

etc.


3. Before we can have a new “methodism” … we need a new

“messagism” - where we consciously rethink our message

and align everything with it.

alignmentthe current challenge of innovation

sermon

benedictionsinvocationsconfessions of sin

creedsprayers

instrumental music

songs

gospel

spiritual experience

theology

budget

planning

governance

announcements

eucharistic liturgy

fundraising

professional eval/development

seminary/ training

volunteer care

communications

training

mentoring

education

formation

compassion

justicevocation

recreation

pastoral care

fellowship

mutual care

readings

litanies

planning

welcome

recruitment

mentoring/modeling

building multi-faith alliances“talent scouts”

gospel


theology

benedictions

sermon

invocations

confessions of sincreeds

prayers

instrumental musicsongs

announcements

eucharistic liturgy


seminary/ training

budget

planning

governancefundraising

volunteer care

communications

compassionjusticevocation

trainingmentoring

educationformation

mea

ning

adm

inis

tryfo

rmat

ion

com

mun

ity

cele

brat

ion

mis

sion

leadership

recreation

pastoral carefellowship

mutual care

gospel


theology

meaning

benedictionssermon

invocations

confessions of sin

creeds

prayers

instrumental music

songs

announcementseucharistic liturgy

celebration ritual/practice - bonding to meaning

readings

litanies

community connected to celebrate/embody meaning

recreation

pastoral care

fellowship

mutual care

welcome

training mentoring

educationformation

formation more deeply embodying meaning

budget

governance

fundraising

volunteer care

communications

administry supporting the meaning with logistics

planningjob descriptions

management

compassion

justice

vocation

mission the meaning bearing fruit

recruitment


seminary/ training

leadership equipped to build communities who embody the meaning

mentoring/modeling

building multi-faith alliances

“talent scouts”

mea

ning

adm

inis

tryfo

rmat

ion

com

mun

ityce

lebr

atio

n

mis

sion

leadership

heart-health for congregations:

congregational alignment for dangerous, challenging, precipitous, pivotal times



brianmclaren.net



Lord’s Prayer

Holy One, whose love makes us one family. May your unspeakable name be revered. Now, here on earth, may your commonwealth come. On earth as in heaven may your dreams come true.

Give us today our bread for today. Forgive us our wrongs as we forgive. Lead us away from the perilous trial. Liberate us from the evil.

Lord’s Prayer

For the kingdom is yours and yours alone. The power is yours and yours alone. The glory is yours and yours alone. Now and forever, amen.

Now, here on earth, may your commonwealth come. On earth as in heaven may your dreams come true. Alleluia. Alleluia. Amen.

heart-health for clergy - Brian...

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